There are 70 comments on the
Chico Enterprise-Record
story from Jul 12, 2008, titled Evacuees react to death of Concow resident in fire.
In it, Chico Enterprise-Record reports that:

The parking lots at Las Plumas High School were nearly full with RVs and cars; the school lawns were dotted with tents; and the gym was a hub of activity as fire evacuees from Concow, Yankee Hill, Paradise and ...

I'm the person who said I'd been evacuated 10 times in 20 years. I do not live down in Concow, but up at Jarboe Gap where the fires have been much more frequent. I do have clearance and water sources and the fire fighters said it was a very defensible place. I do expect fires. I know where I live and am always prepared to run since not being prepared during the first one! Many of my friends down in Concow have (had) amazing homes, beautiful homes, nice homes, with clearing and yards and nice landscapes. Homes only a fierce wildfire would destroy, as this was. Nothing like Paradise, which is a disaster waiting to happen. Homes packed together, brush and scrappy trees in and around their homes (not all), no clearances, neighbors who won't do their part and risk everyone who does. Drive around there and take a look. Man, somebody needs to make these guys wake up if the Humboldt fire didn't. We lost 55 homes in the Poe Fire here.A few of my friends lost their homes both then (moved) and lost them again now. My heart belongs to all those who lost their homes. I am so sorry.And thanks to all the Firefighters who have worked so hard and put their lives on the line. Do not get the firefighters and the ones doing the decision-making confused.

Oh, one more thing. If no one has noticed, Plumas County took alot of hits in this lightning storm and has been raging with fires in many areas where there are communities! We didn't hear much about them because News people couldn't get up Hwy 70 to make a big deal out of it...and we were closer. They have been going through the same things we have and our good thoughts should extend to them, also. Plumas County is our neighbor and I for one, care for and appreciate them.

Like I said I live in Plumas County and very close to a fire burning right now. I just don't believe we should start lawsuits over these things. And I have been in Plumas County for over 20 years and guaranteed I have plenty to do with my time thank you very much. But I do believe that starting a back fire is necessary when a fire is out of control . In fact they are doing that right now to the one close to me and it is working. It was a sad lose in concow but they did what they did because they thought it was the right thing to do at the time. Nobody can predict the weather in a firestorm.

I wonder what goes into the decision to issue a precautionary or immediate threat evacuation for an area. I'm sure it's WAY more than "wouldn't it be convenient to use that road." In fact, it would probably include areas that are at risk due to access issues, residents that would create a danger to fire fighters working in an area by driving up and down the road that is integrated into a fire line, or necessary for unencumbered access to the fire, etc.

I'm sure they also evaluate and weigh the potential risk to people being there and potentially getting in the way of fire fighters vs. infringing on the resident's otherwise deeply held right to access their property. I wonder if anyone can honestly share how much consideration is put into when to allow residents back under a precautionary evacuation after an immediate threat, while reminding them that the threat to their life/property/access is still very real. And then how much thought the residents put into whether or not they should actually return to stay, or should they just go back to their house, check on things, maybe run some sprinklers do a few last things to improve clearance/survivability of their home, then leave again until all evacuation threats have been lifted and the fires are truely contained.

Take a good look at the guidelines that Cal-Fire and the Butte County Sheriff's use ( http://www.buttecounty.net/Default.aspx... ), which the people are reminded of when their evacuation status changes, and you may have a better understanding of what you should do instead of just assuming that just because the cops aren't blocking people from going in somewhere, you should go home to stay.

I know when the Humboldt fire was burning like mad with my house in it's sights, by the time it was 1 1/2 miles away Cal-Fire was only beginning to get a couple of resources into my neighborhood. I called my insurance company to make sure my coverage was solid, collected my important documents and photographs, my kid's "security" toys, a weeks worth of clothes started the sprinklers and left. What else can I realistically do and be sure that I am still here for my family when it's over? We returned when the fire was OUT. Since my house has defensible space, my house was just fine when I returned. Frankly, that's how everyone SHOULD do it!

I wonder what goes into the decision to issue a precautionary or immediate threat evacuation for an area. I'm sure it's WAY more than "wouldn't it be convenient to use that road." In fact, it would probably include areas that are at risk due to access issues, residents that would create a danger to fire fighters working in an area by driving up and down the road that is integrated into a fire line, or necessary for unencumbered access to the fire, etc.I'm sure they also evaluate and weigh the potential risk to people being there and potentially getting in the way of fire fighters vs. infringing on the resident's otherwise deeply held right to access their property. I wonder if anyone can honestly share how much consideration is put into when to allow residents back under a precautionary evacuation after an immediate threat, while reminding them that the threat to their life/property/access is still very real. And then how much thought the residents put into whether or not they should actually return to stay, or should they just go back to their house, check on things, maybe run some sprinklers do a few last things to improve clearance/survivability of their home, then leave again until all evacuation threats have been lifted and the fires are truely contained.Take a good look at the guidelines that Cal-Fire and the Butte County Sheriff's use ( http://www.buttecounty.net/Default.aspx... ), which the people are reminded of when their evacuation status changes, and you may have a better understanding of what you should do instead of just assuming that just because the cops aren't blocking people from going in somewhere, you should go home to stay.I know when the Humboldt fire was burning like mad with my house in it's sights, by the time it was 1 1/2 miles away Cal-Fire was only beginning to get a couple of resources into my neighborhood. I called my insurance company to make sure my coverage was solid, collected my important documents and photographs, my kid's "security" toys, a weeks worth of clothes started the sprinklers and left. What else can I realistically do and be sure that I am still here for my family when it's over? We returned when the fire was OUT. Since my house has defensible space, my house was just fine when I returned. Frankly, that's how everyone SHOULD do it!

STOP THE MULTI-$BILLION FIRE-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX with lawsuits and prosecution of the guilty top fire (and other) officials that are greedily feeding off the charred bodies and ruins of our families, homes and animals with clockwork predictability NOW AND EVERY YEAR in California and elsewhere, and it now appears to be extended to ALL YEAR-every year. We must call in the 7 extra Supertanker jumbo jet firefighting aircraft that can STOP THESE FIRES, that CalFire and USFS are REFUSING to use (see: waterbomber.org , and- evergreen supertanker,-on internet, or JBS.org (search: wildfire). We must call the Governor and demand these aircraft to stop this holocaust or else condemn ourselves to this continuing hell on earth which is certainly unfair to our families and neighbors. Our slogan must be 'NEVER AGAIN' and we must act NOW.-Ed Nemechek.([email protected] et)

Please read Field Observers reply to Mr. Nemechek.

AIR TANKERS DON'T PUT OUT LARGE FIRES! They only slow them down so that ground-based firefighters like myself can more safely get in and actually put a line around the fire. Without firefighters on the ground, fires just creep underneath the retardant and start back up on the other side of the drop.

Ed Nemechek, you are spreading misinformation. There is no technological solution that will put out 100% of the fires that California gets. With over 2,000 starts, lack of intel on the locations of many of the new fires, heavy smoke inversions, and hot weather, there was no way to catch all of the fires that resulted from this major - but not un-precedented - lightning bust.

California is fire country. Living in the wildlands requires us to take responsibility for the fact that we have always had fires in California's brushlands, and will continue to have fires. The more effective we have become at putting them out, the fiercer the conditions under which they escape our control.

Suing CalFire and the USFS to force them to do something that is based on the fantasy that we can suppress all fires is ridiculous idea. A 747 costs something like $90,000 an hour to operate. Seems to me that $90,000 could pay for a whole lot of brush-thinning.

Technology is not the answer. A fire management strategy that focuses on Night-vision helicopters, Supertankers, and 1,000 new Type I Engines will only worsen the disconnect between people and the landscapes that they live in.

Attempting to provide an urban-level of fire protection to people that build houses in the chaparral encourages development of places that are unsafe places to fight fire. This puts civilians and people like myself in unnecessary danger.

As a firefighter who has seen first-hand what happens to homes that we cannot safely engage the fire around (due to lack of clearance, or location on an unsafe, brushy slope) I will tell you that there is no way that any night-vision Jumbo-Jet is going to make me feel any more comfortable about being out on some overgrown road, midslope road, on a 100 degree day, in front of a wind and slope-driven wildfire.

I guess there really is a HELL, it's Concow.I hope all you whinebags take your rebuild check from the insurance and move out of the matchbox you used to live in to someplace more fire resistant like Death Valley.My gawd get a life.

Fire is a natural thing. It is repression of fire that causes the destruction when fire finally breaks free. If we let it burn every few years the fires wouldn't be so destructive. In California fires are needed for plants to grow. Cutting down forests and then building houses in them is bad karma. I'm very sorry people had to learn that the hard way, let's just hope they learned.

Just reading about the fires in Concow. Does anyone know if the old Hollopeter place burned down? My dad built a cabin down by Kirby Creek, not far from their trailer. We were the pioneers of the Concow area, back when most of the roads were not paved, we had no electricity and only an outhouse, circa 1966. We grew up every summer in that mosquito mountain lot, with dirt bikes and logging trucks and the old minerup the road, with his gold panning operation. The Camelot area was in the meadow area not far from where we were situated next to the creek. I looked on a google map to see the extent of the fires. I was just wondering if my dad's old place burnt down. If anyone knows, just post a reply. My condolences to those who have lost their home.

Stupid people suck. WE aren't the ones cutting down the forests for the trees to build with, oh simple one. The masses living in the valley are, like you. I have ONE house on 30 acres (of trees and meadows). How many houses are on 30 acres in YOUR neighborhood? If some people didn't live up here, we'd be living next door to you. And who made you the one to judge where people can live? You know nothing about Karma. You just know the word. Overpopulation is the BIGGEST problem here. Too many people, too many houses, too many cars. There wasn't a big problem with overpopulation when I was born. You, on the otherhand are part of the problem. I was here first.

So overpopulatioin is the problem? Too many people? Do you have a final solution to the overpopulation problem Jarbo? I bet you do. Crank nazis are all the same. Watch out your karma doesn't run over your dogma.

Atheist lesbo hippie drug addicts will be judged by God and the forest fire we just witnessed will be nothing compared to the unholy Fires of Hell! Find Jesus before its too late! If I catch any of you on my property I'll drop you with my 12 gauge before you get within 50 yards of my place! Go find a House of God little girl before you lose your Soul! God Bless the U. S.!

Atheist **** hippie drug addicts will be judged by God and the forest fire we just witnessed will be nothing compared to the unholy Fires of Hell! Find Jesus before its too late! If I catch any of you on my property I'll drop you with my 12 gauge before you get within 50 yards of my place! Go find a House of God little girl before you lose your Soul! God Bless the U. S.!

Van lived at the end of the road. He had left two times and felt that this was the same story.He died as a result. We are crying for him in Tulsa, OK. Sorry, that there are some in Concow,that feel he is not worthy of our tears. He was a brilliant photographer. We love him and will miss him. Have not visited Concow, CA, or Paradise, but the people in both town will be in my prayers as they attempt to recover from this horrible tragedy.

I'm very sorry to hear that you knew him. I'm really very sorry about your loss. I really wish I could erase that last post, and would like to apologize for the tactless and inappropriate joviality. I'm sincerely embarrassed by the rudeness of it. I did forget what thread I was on. If there is a moderator around could I get that erased?

Tell me when this thread is updated:

Add your comments below

Please note by submitting this form you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be polite.
Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator. Send us your feedback.